LANGUAGE

Through the English Learning Area, learners develop knowledge, skills, and understandings about English language and literacy by studying and employing a range of spoken, written, visual and multimedia texts.  This area plays a vital role in developing learners' literacy, enhancing their learning in all curriculum areas and providing them with communication skills and critical understanding of the language they need to actively participate in society.  

Literacy is active, dynamic and constantly changing.  While studying the English language, learners develop functional and critical literacy skills and, through technology, develop 'multiple literacies' to meet the demands of a changing world.

STRANDS

The English Learning Area identifies three major independent and interrelated strands that describe how learners communicate in English.

LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Learners listen and speak with purpose, understanding and critical awareness.  They select and apply strategies for conveying and making meaning in a wide range of contexts.

READING AND VIEWING

Learners read and view a wide range of texts with purpose.  They use developing language structures and features to comprehend and compose.  They develop understandings of the contextual nature of all language transactions and the relationship between readers, viewers, written and visual texts, and audiences.  They understand how texts are organised and how they work.

WRITING

Learners write for a range of purposes.  They control and produce texts of developing complexities in many forms.  Formal spelling, punctuation and grammatical structures are integrated in contextual writing.

LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH

At Living Waters, children have Japanese lessons from Transition to Year 6.  The Languages Learning Area is an essential part of a broad and balanced education for all learners.  Learning another language extends the cognitive and conceptual development and problem-solving skills of learners.  It increases their awareness of how language works and can assist significantly in developing literacy.  The language and cultural understandings developed promote cross-cultural relationships, thereby contributing to social cohesion.  The 4 strands taught are:  Listening, Speaking, Reading and Viewing, and Writing.